


Of Lavender and Mistletoe

by MaxArmenta



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Mortal, Christmas, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-31 15:09:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20117110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaxArmenta/pseuds/MaxArmenta
Summary: Nico sets his cup of coffee down and looks at Bianca. “So let me get this straight. You, while talking to Persephone, told her that you already had a date, which you do not actually have, in an attempt to avoid going to the family Christmas, but instead she invited this imaginary person over? For all of break? Who, I will remind you, is fictional?”Bianca sighs, grimaces, and sets down her own cup of cider onto the coffee shop table. “That’s the gist of it.”Or: the Modern Mortal College Christmas Party Fake Dating Everyone Lives AU for the surprisingly rare pair that you never knew you wanted





	Of Lavender and Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Well. The last time I wrote PJO, I was going into middle school and since then, I’ve only written two fics, both for for a semi-obscure Sci-Fi podcast, and one of which is multi chapter and I haven’t updated it since like January.  
In other words, the perfect time for a completely brand new fic! For real though, hopefully I’ll be able to update this soon, it was great to write so far and I just couldn’t get the idea out of my head until I typed out the words. So enjoy!

Bianca Di Angello loves her family. She really does. She loves Hazel’s warmth and kindness, she loves how much of a dork Nico is and the tough act he puts on, she loves Persephone’s appreciation of flowers and natural beauty, and she loves her father’s quiet care for all of them. 

What she does not love, however, is their annual Christmas party and the yearly struggle of not getting set up on a date with someone she hasn’t talked to in years, or one of the sons of her dad’s coworkers. Apparently, just because both Hazel and Nico are in relationships, that must mean that Bianca is lonely, especially since she’s older than them both. 

Which she’s not. Lonely, that is. And even if she were, the last place she’d try to rectify that would be her dad’s holiday bash. No matter how much her parents tried to set her up with their coworker’s kids, she resisted. So the solution seemed simple to her: don’t go to the party, and avoid the whole mess. But life has a habit of never going in the way you expect it to. 

* * *

Nico sets his cup of coffee down and looks at Bianca. “So let me get this straight. You, while talking to Persephone, told her that you already had a date, which you do not actually have, in an attempt to avoid going to the family Christmas, but instead she invited this imaginary person over? For all of break? Who, I will remind you,  _ is fictional? _ ”

They’re sitting in the local Starbucks, doing their Saturday morning coffee chat. Nico and Bianca had a shaky relationship in middle and high school, and it helped them to have a debrief of sorts once a week. If Bianca’s honest with herself, it’s usually the thing she looks forward most to. She misses being as close to him as they were when they were kids, and even in high school she could at least supervise from a distance. She mentally reminds herself that Nico doesn’t hang out with that crowd anymore and focuses on the conversation at hand. 

Bianca sighs, grimaces, and sets down her own cup of cider onto the coffee shop table. “That’s the gist of it. So now I’m stuck between admitting I was lying and looking like a total fool, or arriving without a date and looking like a total fool.” 

Nico smirks before replying, “Well, it’ll certainly make for an interesting atmosphere. I won’t be this year’s disappointment it seems.”

“C’mon, just cause some of dad’s asshole coworkers are bigots, it doesn’t mean you’re a disappointment,” Bianca retorts. Though, she thinks to herself, he does have a point. She and Nico had known about each other’s sexualities since they were kids, but Nico only came out to the family in high school and Bianca was still closeted to them. 

Nico gives her a look. “Alright, let’s save that conversation point for next time and focus on your imaginary love life. Just to check again- you’re not dating anyone? And you said you are?”

Bianca nods her head while wringing her fingers, her cider cooling next to them. “Yeah. And now Persephone’s gone and invited them over so I’m in a Catch-22. I think.” She scrunches her face. “Never did read that one, it’s on my list.”

“Have you given any thought to the potential third option?” asks Nico, twisting his ring back and forth on his finger. The ring was metal and had a skull on it, a remnant of his rebellious tween and teen years.

Bianca thinks for a second before continuing, carefully at first and then in a rush. “You don’t mean finding a date within that time, do you Nico? Besides, I don’t even like anyone, and all of the people I’m close to have plans.” She starts counting them off on her fingers. “Grover’s going to Juniper’s place in New York, Dad knows Leo and Calypso are together, Percy’s taking Annabeth to his mom’s…”

Nico frowns, thinking. “Hmm. Well that does seem to be a problem.” Before he can continue, his phone vibrates with the tell-tale signs of a text. He looks down at it and blushes a bit. “Uh, I gotta go, sorry.” 

Bianca grins, despite being a bit miffed their conversation would be cut short. “Oh? Have plans with a certain someone?” she teases.

Nico glares in her direction as he gets up. “Goodbye, Bianca,” he flatly delivers before walking towards the exit. 

“Don’t forget to say hi to Will from me!” She shouts at Nico as the door shuts behind him.  
  


* * *

Bianca flops back on her dorm bed. “What am I going to  _ do  _ Pipes?”

Her roommate and confidant, Piper McLean, doesn’t even look back from packing her suitcase and half jamming out to her Pandora station. “I don’t know what to tell you Bi, you put this on yourself. Are you sure there’s no one you can take home? Like no friends at all?”

She rolls over to face Piper, “Well it seems like all of the guys either have plans or my parents already know they’re with someone else.” 

Piper pauses packing for a moment before turning to Bianca with an inquisitive look. “Bi, have you thought about taking someone who’s  _ not _ a guy?” 

Bianca sits up, but doesn’t exactly meet her gaze, and frowns. “I mean, a bit, but not super seriously. Like most of who I could think of that might be able to pull it off either already have plans or are painfully straight, and that wouldn’t end well for either of us. Add to that that I’m not exactly out to most of my family, and I wouldn’t wish this on an enemy.”

Her friend closes the suitcase, seemingly fine with being done for the time being. “Didn’t you say your parents are like, super accepting with Nico and Will?” Piper says to Reyna. “And haven’t you been saying that you wanted to find out a way to come out to them?”

“I mean, I was thinking about sending a letter, not bringing home a girlfriend, or even a fake girlfriend.” Bianca looks out towards their dorm room’s mini succulent garden. “Plus, like, the real problem is that it’s Christmas. My dad always throws a big dumb holiday party that like doubles as a work party and having extended family over. And while he’s pretty alright, his colleagues and our family aren’t exactly the most accepting. So whoever I’d ask would have to be up for that, which narrows the field.”

Piper bites her lip, as if she’s thinking, and responds, “What about Reyna?” She asks it as if it’s the simplest thing in the world. Bianca doesn’t know why, but her roommate and Reyna always seemed to keep their distance.

Bianca looks at Piper funny. “I don’t know. She’s probably the most likely candidate, but I don’t even know if she’s into girls, and if she is it might make things awkward between us, and if  _ not  _ it’d definitely make things awkward, and I-” Piper cut her off with by raising her palm. 

“Nah, it’s alright. I figured she was probably a no, I’d just heard that she was spending her break on campus and,” Piper shrugged, “I don’t know, never mind.” She goes back to packing her suitcase. 

Bianca pauses for a second, before flopping back down again. “Y’know it’s really not that I’m not out. That’s not the reason I’m against it.”

In the background, seemingly, Piper folds one of her shirts before putting in on her pile. “Well then, what’s the big reason?” She gives Bianca one of her knowing looks. 

She sighs, giving in to Piper’s looks having been on the receiving end of it a’plenty and knowing the only way out is through. “You know why,” she admits, defeated. 

The other girl sits down on her bed besides Bianca and lies down, mimicking her. “Y’know, I’m supportive of you either way, Bi. But I’m just saying, this solves a few of your problems. Coming out to your folks might be easier with a pretend-girlfriend. You don’t have to be embarrassed in front of anyone.” She leaves the last point out, tactfully. 

They sit in silence for a minute, the only sound in the room being the music coming from Piper’s phone, some old folk song Bianca’s aunt might like. It’s a good environment for thinking, something she traditionally saved for later, much to her chagrin. 

“Did I ever tell you about the first time I met Reyna?” Bianca asks aloud, looking straight up at the pale ceiling. When Piper doesn’t respond, she continues.

“We were both at this week-long leadership camp sorta thing, summer of seventh grade. I was a nervous wreck, it was the first time I’d be away from my dad and Nico for that long. So there’s these groups right? Like in gym class where the two captains pick who they want out of a lineup. But there are like five of these. 

“So Hylla, her older sister and counselor at the time, has already picked through the returning campers along with the four other cabins. And I’m so nervous, I’m tapping my foot and playing with my hair, and then for some reason, Reyna, who I don’t know yet, whispers into her sister’s ear something and all of a sudden I’ve been picked first. Like, the shy awkward girl with no ties to anyone. So I go over to them, and Reyna has her tough face on. And the first thing she says to me, still with her tough face, is ‘I hope you like archery’ and she  _ fucking walks away _ .”

Piper howls with laughter. “That’s certainly one way to introduce yourself,” she manages to get out while sitting up. Bianca mimics her, smiling. 

“But yeah. We were fast friends, it turned out the same group of girls had gone to the camp for a few summers already, but it was also Reyna’s first year. After that, we exchanged email addresses and kept in touch. Same with a few of the other girls, but me and Reyna were always closest.” Bianca smiles out into the middle distance before shaking her head. She looks over at Piper who’s watching her intently, her face knit in an expression of concern. 

“You know I have a sense with stuff like this,” Piper says. “If you’re fine with the coming out part of it, I think you should ask her. But that’s just my two cents.” She stands up and goes backs to packing. Bianca continues to blankly stare for a minute before getting up herself and slipping her shoes one. 

Piper gives her a smile. “Hey, whatever happens, I’m only a text away. And I  _ do _ expect updates on this,” she smirks, as Bianca rolls her eyes. 

“You know I will. Who else am I gonna talk about this with?” Bianca grabs her phone off her bed and walks to the door. As she opens it and steps through the doorway to their dorm room, Bianca realizes the sheer stupidity of what she’s about to do and groans inwardly to herself. _ “This is going to be a long winter break,”  _ she thinks.


End file.
